Monday 11 June 2012 07.42 EDT
First published on Monday 11 June 2012 07.42 EDT

Zoe Smith heads a five-strong team of weightlifters who have been selected to represent Great Britain at this summer's Olympic Games.

Greenwich-born Smith is celebrating along with Natasha Perdue and the male lifters Peter Kirkbride, Gareth Evans and Jack Oliver. Monday's eagerly-awaited announcement from the British Olympic Association (BOA) comes after a gruelling qualifying period which finished with the British Senior Championships two weeks ago.

But while the quintet can now look forward to competing for Team GB at the Excel Arena in London, there is disappointment for Jo Calvino, Emily Godley and Halil Zorba.

Tamas Feher, the Team GB weightlifting head coach, said: "I am convinced we will participate at London with our strongest and best prepared team. Our five young strong-bodied and strong-minded athletes will show to millions around the world and in their own country exactly what it means to be a British weightlifter.

"The final stage of qualification was hard and all involved competitors did their best. There was a lot of sweat, pain and sacrifice, which is usual with weightlifting. But now all team members are ready for the hardest 50 days work of their lives to make sure they put in their best performance ever in front of their own fans."

Athletes were only considered for nomination by British Weight Lifting to the BOA selection panel if they hit the specified Olympic Qualifying A standard twice or B standard once in the same weight category, with those reaching the A grade given preference.

Smith, a bronze medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, had all but booked her place at the Olympics before Monday's announcement having been the only lifter to hit the A standard, doing so twice, albeit in two different weight categories.

A personal-best performance, beating all three of her own British Under-23 records, saw Smith make the grade in the women's 63kg at last month's British Championships, while she also did so in April's European Championships in Turkey at 58kg – the weight she is set to compete in at the Olympics.

The remaining spots in Team GB – for one other female athlete and three male – were very much up for grabs. The veteran lifter Perdue (69kg) could be considered a surprise choice by some among a strong women's field given she hit B standard only once in qualifying while Calvino and Godley each achieved it twice. The 36-year-old Swansea-born athlete suffered disappointment at the British Championships having failed to register a total after three no lifts in the clean and jerk followed a snatch personal best.

But, despite little scope for 2016 involvement, the selectors have gone for Perdue's experience in London and have been convinced by the clear progress she has made of late, with impressive performances at the World, European and also Welsh Championships.

In the men's competition, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kirkbride (94kg), from Kilmarnock, and Evans (69kg), Holyhead, led the way and were strong contenders for a place in Team GB having each claimed B standard twice.

They will be joined by Oliver (77kg), from Bexleyheath, who edged Zorba and outside candidate Shaun Clegg having all hit B level once. Oliver, like Perdue, recorded his B-grade performance at the European Championships and also put in a strong display at the world championships, but experienced a bitter setback at the British having failed with all three snatch attempts. All five selected lifters will be competing at their first Olympics, with weightlifting running at Excel Arena from Saturday 28 July to Tuesday 7 August.